3.5 Weeks To Go

First off, congrats to training partners Kyle Leto and Kenny Rakestraw for taking 2nd and 7th respectively at Alcatraz Triathlon yesterday.  You guys are studs and it was nice to see you tear it up out there on that tough course.


Despite having my alarm set before 6:00am everyday last week and feeling a little sleep deprived, I had a great week of training.  I finished 2/3 of two masters swim workouts and took down the whole workout the third time.  Although I can still feel the shoulder a little bit during certain parts of the stroke, I'm confident that with a few more training sessions in the pool, there is no reason why I shouldn't be 100% and at the top of my fitness in the water come nationals.  It feels great to be back!


With Kyle and Kenny missing from our weekly group ride "House of Pain" because they were racing the next day, it was left wide open for me to take charge of the 30-40 rider group.  Usually Kyle goes to the front, puts in his headphones and tears the group to pieces.  I'm usually one of the unlucky guys being shelled off the back.  This time around, I found a new confidence and took my turns at the front.  This time it was my turn to shell some people off the back, plus we got pulled over by a cop for taking up the whole car lane for a about 10 miles.  Apparently drivers and cyclists don't get along.  No big deal though.  We got a little speech from the officer and we were on our way.  It's not the first time I've been on the group when it's been pulled over.  We all shared a good laugh.  Overall, I feel very strong on the bike right now; much improved from last year at this time.  The picture below is Kyle and I surviving on a 45-mile ride at 110 degrees last Wednesday.

With the help of Luis and his track workout group on Thursday mornings, I got through my long track session at 5:30am.  The total distance of the work on the track was 8 miles and it marks my come back after a 2-week hiatus from track stuff.  The workout went very well.  I like to tell myself during and after the workout that no one I am racing in 3.5 weeks is working that hard on the track and running those types of workouts.  It helps with my confidence.


The next 2 weeks call for more of the same before starting my taper and preparations for Tuscaloosa.

Post Crash

Back on July 31st, I had the opportunity to race at the Elite Development race at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.  There were 35 athletes in the race, including 4 pros.  Excluding the pros, the top 3 amateur finishers were given their elite cards, giving them their "professional" status.  I raced in one of these types if races earlier this year, taking the 4th spot.  This time, I was poised for a top 3 finish.  Unfortunately, after a great swim that put me in the position I wanted, I hit a bump on the bike and went down hard.  I've never crashed on the bike before.  It was surprising, to say the least...as well as painful.  With the help of some coaches, I got picked up from the ground, the bike was bent back into ridable position and I was off.  Throughout my entire running and triathlon career, I've never DNFed and I wasn't about the change that.  I ended up finishing, which was a successful race given the circumstances.

Now, 3 weeks after the crash, I'm just starting to get back in the pool.  I took 2 weeks off from pretty much everything to let my shoulder heal a bit.  Last week was my first full week back running and biking.  Swimming is taking a bit longer.  Luckily nothing was broken or dislocated in the crash and I walked away with just some muscle damage.  A couple races on my schedule are cancelled (Alcatraz and Pacific Grove) so I can get ready for my number 1 race of the season: Nationals in Tuscaloosa, AL.  I've got 4 weeks to train hard and get ready.

I'll do my best to keep you updated on my progress to Alabama.